Dr Helen Weavers, whose PhD was supervised by Professor Helen Skaer here in the Department of Zoology, has been awarded the prestigious Women in Cell Biology Early Career Medal. Dr Weavers is Associate Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Bristol.
Professor Skaer was delighted by the news of Dr Weaver's award, ‘Helen Weavers has been recognised as the brilliant young scientist that she is. Both of us were undergraduates and PhD students in Zoology and acknowledge the crucial part that the Department has played in our intellectual development.’
Dr Weavers commented, 'I’m deeply honoured to receive the BSCB WICB medal, especially as the BSCB Spring Meeting has been a highlight of my year ever since my time as a postgraduate student. I’m thankful for all the support I’ve had from supervisors and colleagues over the years. I’m particularly grateful to my PhD supervisor Helen Skaer, a very deserving recipient of the BSDB Waddington Medal this year! Helen is an exceptional and creative scientist, with a profoundly generous spirit - her approach to research not only continues to inspire and influence me but shapes the way I teach my own students.'
Professor Jordan Raff, former BSCB President stressed the importance of the medal, 'while the concept of women-only prizes is controversial, most scientists think that we lose far too many talented, young, female scientists...this award will help raise the profile of some of our most promising young stars at a crucial stage in their career and that the awardees will serve as inspiring role models for the next generation of female cell biologists.'